Electric watch



M. P. FAVRE-BULLE ELECTRIC WATCH Filed Aug. 21, 1923 Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC WATCH.

Application filed August 81, 1988. Serial No. 658,825.

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, MAURICE PHILIPPE FAVRE-BULLE, a citizen of the French Reublic. and residin at 59 Boulevard Beause- Jour, Paris, in the epartment of the Seine and Republic of France, have invented a certain new and useful Electric Watch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved electric watch Whose working shall be reliable, notwithstanding the vibrations to which it may be subjected. For this reason it is more especially adapted to be used on motor vehicles without, however, being limited to that particular use. The oscillating device consists of a coil or bobbin adapted to move along an arc-shaped magnet, this coil being located in a circuit which is periodically closed. The oscillations of this coil are transmitted by means of suitable multiplying gearing to a balance wheel somewhat similar to that of a large watch, that is to say having the same regulating power as regards weight mass and moment of inertia.

The driving of the transmitting devices by means of the oscillating device is effected in the following manner:

A plate fixed to the oscillating device comprises, at right angles to its own plane, one or two small cylinders which are capable of turning freely on their axes and are held between the two pron s of an oscillating fork carrying a paw which, at each complete oscillation of the fork, moves forward the wheel, the axis of which coincides with the axis of oscillation of the fork. A counter-pawl prevents any backward movement of this wheel, and each time it rocks it can make a contact which closes the circuit in which the coil is included.

The axle of the wheel, above referred to, carries at its end an eccentric on which is fixed a spring pawl which receives by this means a to-and-fro motion which causes a second wheel to move forward one tooth each time the first wheel has made a complete revolution. Finally, a suitable gearing of any known type transmits the motion of this wheel to the'hour hand arbor.-

constructional form of this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross-section, on a large scale, of the entire apparatus.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are plans of the three superposed plates carrying the devices that constitute the apparatus.

Figures 5, 5' and 6 are detail views drawn to a larger scale. The whole of the devices constituting the watch, forming the subject matter of the present invention, is carried by three parallel plates 1, 2 and 3.

On the plate 1 (Figures 1 and 2) there is fixed by means of two clips 4 and 5, a magnet 6 of annular, gapped circular form, or having the shape of an arc of a circle. On this magnet is wound a coil 7 connected to the electric circuit Sofacurrent generator 9.

The coil 7 is fixed to a toothed wheel 10 fixed to an axle 11 ivoted at 12 on the plate 1 and extending t rough the plate 2. A counter-weight 13 likewise fixed to the wheel 10 serves to balance the coil 7. A spiral spring 1 1 of steel or nickel located below the wheel 10 is fixed at one end on a ferrule attached to the axle 1'1 and at its other end to the plate at 15. l

' The toothed wheel 10 meshes with a pinion 16 constituting the axle of a balance wheel 17 arranged in such a manner as to have a great stability of oscillation.

The axle 11 of the wheel 10, which as above stated extends through the plate 2, 35 carries upon the said plate a plate 18 (Figures 1 and 3) upon which are located two axles 19, 20, at right angles to the plane of the plate 18 around eachof which a small cylindrical roller 21, 22 is able to turn freely (Figure 5). On the other end, on the plate 2 there is pivotedan axle 23 which extends through the plate 3 and is fixed to a toothed wheel 24 which has, for instance, sixty teeth if a simple oscillation of the os- 5 cillatog system corresponds to a half-sec 0nd. round the axle 23 there can oscillate a fork 25 the two prongs of which embrace the two cylindrical rollers 21, 22. The length of these prongs is such as to prevent my replaced b having a any possibility of these two, rollers escaping from the said rongs. This construction has the reat a vantage of allowing at the end of 5m stroke of each of the rollers 21 and 22, the fork to turn through a gradually smaller distance in such a manner that the angle of total rotation of the fork shall be only slightl influenced by the variations in the amp itude 'of the oscillatin device.

The two rollers above mentioned may be a single roller 46 (Figure 5) iameter that is slightly smaller than the distance between the two prongs of the fork 25 and pivotally mounted on an axle 47 ctrl'ied b a plate 18. A counterweight 26 carrie by the end of the arm of the fork serves to balance the latter.

On the arm of the fork 25 there is articulated at 27 a pawl 28 engaging with the teeth of the wheel 24., Acounter-pawl 29 1s ivoted on an axle 30 and is sub ected to t e action of a returnin spring 31 located Obll usly in relation to is counter-pawl. The atter carries an elastic conducting strip 32 on which is located a contact piece 33 capable of making contact with a second adjustable contact piece 34 that is carried directly by the plate 2. The contact piece 34 is connected to one of thepoles of the battery 9, the second pole of which is connected to the spring 31.

The axle 23 of the wheel 24 which extends through the plate 3- terminates above the latter in the form of an eccentric 35 (Figures 1, 4 and 6) on which is mounted a pawl 36 subjected to the action of a returnlng spring 37 constituted, for instance, by an elastic strip forming one piece with the pawl. This pawl comes into engagement with the teeth of the toothed wheel 38 fixed to an axle 39 adapted to pivot on the plate 3. A. counter-pawl 40, which is similar to the pawl 36, is capable of pivoting on an axle 41 and is subjected to the action ofa returning-spring 42. The axle 39 of the wheel 38 has fixed on it the minutes hand 43 of the watch (Figure 1). Any suitable gearing serves to transmit the motion of the minutes hand axle to the axle 44 of the hour hand. On the end of the axle 23 there may be mounted, if desired, a second hand 45.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows When the coil 7 moves along the magnet 6, while making oscillations of very small amplitude, it carries with it the wheel 10. Thls oscillatory motion is transmitted by the pinion16 to the balance wheel 17 which has a large amplitude of oscillation.

The oscillations of the 'wheel are transmitted by the axle 11 which is fixed to it, to the plate.18, the cylindrical rollers 21 and 22 of which compel the fork 25 to rock around the axle 23. At each oscillation of this fork towards the left hand of the figure the tpawl 28 moves the wheel 24 forwards one too but owin to the construction hereinbefore descri it is suflicient that the distance between the two prongs of the fork 25 shall be suitably calculated to cause the drive to be done tooth by tooth. Conse uently the wheel will be advanced one toot per second. The counter-pawl 29 prevents the wheel 24 from moving back and, at each passage of a tooth, this counter-pawl, pivotmg on the axle 30, will cause contact between the contact pieces 32 and 38 and consequently will close the circuit 8. It will be perceived that in this manner thecurrent is sent into the coil 7 at the desired instant for maintaining the oscillation. The re turning sprin 31 is arranged obliquely so as ]to allow 0 an automatic taking up of The rotation of the wheel 24 is transmitted through the medium of the axle 23 fixed thereto, to the eccentric and fork 25. Qonsequentl the pawl 36 receives a longitudlnal to-andmotion and causes the wheel 38 to move forward one tooth at each complete revolution of the wheel 24. The counterawl 40 prevents the wheel 38 from going bac wards. The hand 43 which is fixed on the. axle 39 of the wheel 38 will thus show the minutes. As already stated, suitable gearings serve to transmit the motion to the hour hand 44. 7

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and .desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. An electric watch comprising an cecillating coil, an arc-sha magnet along which the said coil is a apted to move, a periodically closed circuit in which the said coil is located, a source of electric energy in connection with the said circuit and coil, means for closing and opening the said circuit, a balance wheel and multiplying 1'- ing for transmitting the movements'o the oscillating device to the balance wheel.

2. An electric watch comprising a magnet, an electric circuit, a source of energy for the said circuit, an oscillatin device located in said circuit, a plate, to which the oscillating device is fixed, adapted to be movable. an oscillating fork axially mounted and ads ted to engage with a second plate to ren er it movable, means carriedby the said first plate adapted to engage with the 0scillatlng fork, whereby the movement of e second plate is effected, a balance wheel d riving its motion from the movement of the said first plate and oscillating device; and multiplying gearing for transmitting the said motion.

3. An electric watch comprising a magnet, an electric circuit, a source of one for the said circuit, an oscillating device located in sald circuit, a plate to which the oscillat- III ing device is fixed, pins carried by the said plate, a cylinder arranged upon each of the said pins and adapted to freely turn thereon, an oscillating fork between the 5 prongs of which the said cylinders are positioned and acting on the said fork, a pivot pin upon which the oscillating fork is mounted, a toothed Wheel mounted upon said pivot pin, a pawl attached to and operated by the 10 oscillating fork to move forward the said Wheel, a counter-pawl to prevent backward movement of said wheel, a contact device associated with the said counter-pawl to make contact, when the counter-pawl rocks, to close the circuit in which the coil is included.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAURICE PHILIPPE FAVRE-BULLE. 

